2021 Ford Explorer problems and complaints
Owners have filed 424 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Ford Explorer. The most-reported areas: Power Train (121), Unknown Or Other (84), Engine (48).
Key takeaways
- 424 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
- 14 involve a crash, 5 a fire, 16 reported injuries.
- Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train | 121 | 29% |
| Unknown Or Other | 84 | 20% |
| Engine | 48 | 11% |
| Electrical System | 42 | 10% |
| Back Over Prevention | 36 | 8% |
| Visibility/Wiper | 23 | 5% |
| Service Brakes | 23 | 5% |
| Structure | 23 | 5% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 19 | 4% |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 18 | 4% |
| Visibility | 17 | 4% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 15 | 4% |
One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
| Version | Overall | Front | Side | Rollover |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Ford Explorer SUV 4WD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
| 2021 Ford Explorer SUV RWD | 5/5 | 5/5 | 5/5 | 4/5 |
Latest complaints, as filed
Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.
Power Train,fuel/Propulsion System - filed 2026-09-21
While driving with the cruise on at 74 mph the vehicle jerked as if the brakes had been tapped. I shut off the cruise and tried to accelerate but nothing happened. At this point I signaled to change lanes and pulled to the right shoulder. There were no dash lights or warning alarms prior to the engine stalling. Clear...
Engine - filed 2026-09-17
I had a very serious safety failure of my 2021 Ford explorer. On Monday, XXX my 2021 Explorer suffered an unprompted, catastrophic failure matching recall 26S48, but Ford is denying coverage based on build dates. After driving roughly 35mph, pressing the brake, and nearing a stop sign, the explorer put itself into pa...
Power Train,visibility - filed 2026-09-15
The contact owns a 2021 Ford Explorer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 26V117000 (Visibility) and 26V402000 (Power Train); however, the parts to perform the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs...
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More for the 2021 Ford Explorer
Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.